The Indian River School District's two high schools received favorable marks in this year's U.S. News & World Report Best High School rankings.

The report, released April 23, has Sussex Central High School and Indian River High School ranked second and third in the state, and 2,094th and 2,233rd in the nation, respectively. Both schools received silver medals based on their national rankings.

"We've both received bronze medals before, but never silver," said Mark Steele, principal of Indian River High School

"It's great to be validated for all of the hard work of the staff," said Jay Owens, principal of Sussex Central High School. "We're really proud of this accolade."

U.S. News & World Report, in partnership with the Washington, D.C.-based American Institutes for Research, analyzed 21,035 public high schools in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Nebraska was the only state that did not report enough data and therefore was not evaluated.

According to U.S. News & World Report, schools were evaluated on overall student performance on state-mandated assessments, as well as how effectively schools educated their black, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged students. Performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams was then used to determine the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work.

IRSD Superintendent Susan Bunting said having both high schools receive silver medals and be ranked in the top three in Delaware is a tremendous accomplishment.

"On a national scale, we are thrilled that these schools are considered to be among the top 10 percent in the country," Bunting said. "This recognition is a validation of our exemplary efforts to prepare students for success after graduation."

Delaware's 38 public high schools were included in the evaluation. Delmar High School received the top ranking, by surpassing Sussex Central in college readiness. Delcastle Technical High School was ranked fourth and Howard High School of Technology ranked fifth.